Their primary objective became exquisitely complex: not to destroy the Vanguard, but to manipulate it.
The information from their growing network confirmed the deep ideological schism between the two spymasters, Vex and Charon.
Vex was a messianic figure, obsessed with the raw, chaotic power of the ChainForce, which he saw embodied in Ryu.
He was a creature of grand gestures, of theatrical displays of power, eager to establish himself as a new god in a new world order.
Charon, on the other hand, was a purist, a true spymaster who believed in absolute, invisible control.
To him, Vex's obsession with the 'anomaly' was a reckless, emotional liability.
Vex's methods were loud and messy; Charon preferred the clean, silent efficiency of a well-placed rumor or a politically convenient assassination.
"They are two vipers in a single nest," Kiera mused, studying their gathered intelligence on a holographic board.
"And vipers, when threatened, will often strike at each other first."
The plan they devised was a masterpiece of psychological warfare, a gambit aimed directly at Charon's professional pride.
Ryu, with his unique energy signature, was the ultimate bait for Vex. But to attract the attention of a master spy like Charon, they needed to demonstrate a level of sophistication that went beyond simple power.
They needed to speak his language: the language of chaos flawlessly executed.
Their first move was to orchestrate a 'theft.' A major Vanguard weapons shipment, destined for a group of mercenaries on the city's fringe, vanished without a trace.
There was no battle, no explosion. One moment the transport was on its scheduled route; the next, it was gone.
Joric used his underworld contacts to bribe the transport crew, simply paying them more than the Vanguard to take a different route and deliver their cargo to a new buyer.
Days later, those same advanced plasma rifles appeared in the hands of a fiercely independent Outer Sector militia, a group known for its violent opposition to all outside influence, clan or criminal.
The militia, suddenly and inexplicably well-armed, began causing significant problems for Vex's local operations, creating a persistent, irritating drain on his resources that had no obvious source.
Next, they targeted a corrupt official within the municipal government who was secretly funneling public funds to one of Vex's front companies.
They didn't just expose him.
With Jin's help, they fabricated a meticulous data trail that made it appear as though the official had been playing both sides, skimming from the Vanguard to sell information to the Onyx Serpents.
The accusation, though false, was so well-constructed, with falsified transaction logs and encrypted communications, that Vex had no choice but to publicly disavow and eliminate his own asset, a move that made him look weak and unable to control his own people.
They were not just attacking Vex's operations; they were attacking his reputation, his mythos.
They were crafting the narrative of a new, unseen player in the shadow war, a phantom whose methods were as sophisticated and as ruthless as Charon's own.
They were creating a ghost to attract a ghost, hoping that Charon's professional jealousy and suspicion of his rival would be a more powerful weapon than any sword.